Abrasive salvaging apparatus



Sept. 18, 1951 L. M. GILBERT ETAL ABRASIVE SALVAGING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1947 Q a M aw hw Tlw ww.,

' |NVENTOR$ uMuLM67mRr (Am. 6'. DER? a li THE/A ATTORNEY Sept. 18,,1951

L. M. GILBERT ETAL 2,568,063

ABRASIVE SALVAGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. l 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORF 15110:; 44. Gaze/w- &

Tam ATTORNEY- .1.

P 1951- L. M. GILBEQRT ET AL 2,568,063

ABRASIVESALVAGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR; Lam/a M. Guam? J Cam. 61 Dike xrfm THE/A ATTORNEY Sept. 18, 1951 L. M. GILBERT ETAL ABRASIVE SALVAGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1, 1947 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS lam/4 MYGILBHFT 8 IIIIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIII/III/IIAh II/III/IIIIIIIIIIA '1 III IIIIIIIIIIIIIII III Sept. 18, 1951 L. M. GILBERT ET AL 2,568,063

ABRASIVE SALVAGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 THE? ATTORNEY:

Sept: 18, 1951 M. GILBERT ET AL ABRASIVE SALVAGING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Dec. 1, 1947 INVENTOR. tall/a M fi/Lamr J 64m 62 0am THE/k ATTORNEY illustrated Patented Sept. 18, 1951 gasses Lemuel Mantel-t, Oaklyn, N. J., and ,Carl G.,Derr, Philadelphia; Pa.

Application December 1, 1947, Serial No. 789,084

This invention relates in generalto' a process "and an "apparatus "for the salvaging of abrasive material after use andi'ts'recirculation or return to mechanism operating on stone. r

" The principalobjeet off the invention isthe provision ofan efficientapparatiis and an assofciated process for the'recover'y of abrasive material subsequent to its employment in the cutting, grinding, "and/or polishing'o-f stone, such as uti- 'lized in building construction, monuments and the like. T7

" Another object is 't'o provide an abrasive salvaging apparatus; particularly -designed and adapted for the stone cutting and polishing in dustry and eife'ctive to recover a large percentage "of the abrasive material hitherto lost or discarded after use. i I

'Another object is the provision of an apparatus for the recovery and reclaiming of abrasive material from the residue deposited by the grinding,

cutting, and/or polishing of stone material with water as an abrasive carrier.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the kind indicated'and adapted for association with stone cutting, grinding, polishing, and/or 'siiriilarpurpose machines, and effective to reclaim abrasive material and return same, after use, to' the 'machine operating on the stone in order to assure a working supply of the abrasive material while the operation is in progress.- v

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the invention proceeds, the

- invention resides in the combination and ar-H rangement of parts, and in the-details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope ofwhat, is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

*The preferred embodiment of the-inventio n is in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure l isa side elevational' view of an apparatus embodying the invention, certainparts being broken away for clarity of illustration, and showing various component parts in operative 19 Claims. (Cl. 203-13) ture of abrasive and stone dust and intermittently eject it by anair blastto a circulating unit;

" Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational,

sectional view of the means for automatically [connecting and disconnecting certain component parts associated with the pulsator mechanism;

the-view being taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and V v as secn in the direction of the arrows;

7 Fig 5 is a longitudinal, sectional view, partly in elevation and with parts broken away, of the abrasive circulating and collecting unit andparts associated therewith;

' Fig. 6 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional view,

taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1, and as seen in the direction of the arrows; I Fig. 7 is a longitudinal, sectional view ofan abrasive circulating unit and parts associated therewith;

of abrasive it is desired to receive inthe hopper;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of a perforated washing pipe, which functions to remove abrasive material from the inner periphery of the drum;

" Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, perspective view of one of the abrasive scoops or conveyor buckets, which line the interior of the abrasive collecting drum;

Fig. 10 an enlarged, fragmentary,"perspective view of one of the abrasive receiving trays or hoppers arranged on the inner periphery of the collecting drum;

Fig. 11 'is a View similar to Fig. 10 and showing the adjustable means for varying the amount and ' Fig. 12 isa fragmentary, perspective view of mechanism for'leveling and tilting the abrasive washing andcollecting drum.

1 In cutting stone material into; blocks or'into desired configurations, such as for exampleare customarily found in monument works, the stone is cut by saws or endless wire cables, and when 'the"latter type of cutting means is employed, Y abrasive material carried by water is continuously applied to the travelling cable. The residue from this stone cutting operation, consisting substan- "tially of stone dust and abrasive particles, iscustomarily discarded, but in accordance withthe present invention, the abrasive material in' this residue may now be salvaged and reemployed.

relation for the salvaging of abrasive material; r

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the apparatusshownin Figure 1, with certain portions broken out to more clearly depict the interior arrangement'of parts;

- Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional,

- elevational view of the pulsator mechanism which functions to initially receive the wet residue mix- Stone grinding and polishing operations also'require considerable quantities of abrasive, and r hitherto there appears to have been no appara- "tus effective for the reclaiming of the abrasive ona'commercial scale.

Broadly,'the present abrasive salvaging process'contemplates the flotation and carrying off of the lighter stone dust particles and the scooping up, washing and collection of the heavier abrasive particles in a series of steps which achieves the reclamation of a high percentage of the original abrasive material in form suitable for immediate use. The various steps in the reclamation process include the initial conveyance of the abrasive residue material in suspension with water and via suitable guide means, into a pulsator unit which intermittently receives air under comparatively high pressure that is effective to force the moist abrasive residue upwardly to a circulating unit, from whence it descends by gravity to the inner bottom of a water-containing and slowly rotating collector drum. Buckets or scoops on the inner periphery of this drum convey the comparatively heavy abrasive particles from the bottom of the drum for deposit into a chute, whence they are returned to the stone cutting or polishing means (not shown), through the intermediary of an adjustable water medium, for reuse. Simultaneously with this processing and reclamation of the abrasive material, the residue material in suspension in the water in the drum and consisting principally of stone dust and a slight percentage of finely divided abrasive particles of flour-like consistency, is floated out from the drum and falls on a series of splash trays arranged in a tank and to which the heavier abrasive particles cling while the lighter and unusable particles together with the stone dust are car-- 'ried off and discarded.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various views of the preferred form of the invention, the numeral 2| designates generally a supporting frame, wherein a tank 22 is suitably secured. Across this tank and fastened to opposite edges thereof at the upper edges is a pair of channel bars 23, 24, arranged in spaced relation and having secured to their outer ends a pair of triangular-shaped brackets 25, 26 respectively. On a pivot pin or axle rod 21, secured to and joining the spaced brackets 25, 26, a frame or cradle 28 is rockably and adjustably supported in normal horizontal position, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. To maintain the cradle 28 in the position shown or to tilt same when desired, a manually operable adjusting rod 29 is threadedly engaged in a block 30 pivoted on a stud or bolt 31 secured in a bracket or lug 32 fastened to an adjacent portion of the cradle 28. The lower end of the rod 29 terminates in a ball (not shown), which is angularly and rotatably received in a socket block 33 fastened to an angle bar 34 in turn secured to the channel bars 23, 24. It will be understood by inspection of Fig. 5 that when the adjusting rod 29 is turned by the hand-wheel 23a fastened thereto, the cradle frame 28 may be aligned horizontally to maintain an even level of its liquid contents, or tilted to facilitate the cleaning or dumping of the material therein.

The frame 28, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, also serves as a support for a number of the other units of the apparatus and including the driving motor 35, the circulating cylinder 36, the washing and collecting drum 31, and various operating parts and details associated therewith, as hereinafter described. By further inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the driving motor 35 which is mounted on a bed plate 38 forming a part of the frame 28, has its shaft 39 operably connected to a gear reduction unit 40, the shaft of which is provided with a pinion 4| meshing with a comparatively large gear 42 secured to a centrally positioned shaft 43 rotatably secured in bearing brackets 44, 45 fastened to the bed plate 38. To the left-hand side of the collecting drum 31, whose lower periphery partially protrudes through the cradle 28, a closure plate 46 is detachably secured by screws 41 welded at one end, as at 47a, to the adjacent surface of the drum, and clamped by nuts 48 against lugs 49 formed on the closure plate 46 which normally seals the left-hand end of the said drum. When desired, the plate 46 may be removed for inspection of the interior of the drum or for any adjustments of parts therein. The central shaft 43 is fastened to a coupling member or plate 50 fastened by screws 5| to the closure plate 46 so that when the shaft 43 is turned, the plate 46 and the attached drum 3'! will correspondingly turn.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the collecting drum 3! is provided at its right-hand side with an annular plate 52 having a wide opening 52a, to accommodate certain elements, whose function is to wash the interior of the drum and to precipitate the abrasive particles therein, and also to convey a portion of the salvaged abrasive to the stone cutting mechanism (not shown).

Operably supported on the frame 28 by the bracket 53 and brace bar 54 is the abrasive circulating cylinder or member 36. This cylinder receives the wet abrasive residue material via the pipe 55 which is connected to a pulsator unit 56 hereinafter described, the said abrasive material being conveyed by gravity from the circulating cylinder 36 via the outlet pipe 36a, and thence is conducted to the collecting drum 3?. The pulsator 56 initially receives the abrasive residue material via a trough or runway 51 which conveys it from the stone cutting apparatus or machine (not shown) and deposits same into a funnel-shaped hopper 58 of the pulsator unit which, as best shown in Fig. 1, may be disposed substantially as shown and beneath the tank 22.

A source of compressed air (not shown) impels the air via a pipe 59 to a valve 60 mounted on the bed plate 38 and adapted to be intermittently or periodically actuated by contact with either of a pair of projections El, 62 extending from a ring 63 clamped to the shaft 43. When the valve 60 is actuated by the aforesaid rotation of the shaft 43, compressed air, at comparatively high pressure, which may be, for example, one hundred pounds per square inch, will be admitted to a pipe 64 also connected to the valve 60 and at its other end to a coupling member 65 secured to a pipe 66 entering the pulsator unit 56. The coupling member 65 is also connected to an automatic, pressure-operated, sequence valve member, indicated generally at El, which opens at reduced air pressure that may be, for example, ten pounds per square inch. A pipe 68 connected to the valve 61 has a Venturi outlet 68a which enters into a pipe fitting 10 connecting the outlet pipe 55 with a conical bottom member 10a of the pulsator unit 55, as hereinafter described more fully. The valve 67 functions to initially permit the rubber ball 69, that is seated on an elbow H secured to the pipe 66 and maintained in the normal position shown by fingers 12 depending from a cover plate 13, to be thrust against and to close an opening 15 communicating with the hopper 58 of the pulsator unit. The lower and open tapered end of the hopper 58 seats on a washer 13a,

v 19! is P1? r bl q ie ei i Mist-$ ,iabra i iaqmn; 9f he bre iynia i blQ i pwardly thereagainst by air blasts from the 35.

@1- pi e.- I B w eyl nq uu mi $1 4 4 i s med x e i i mmi idew of he .e 'eatediofihlopefii fid diff??? 9 9,! l fl i lm' ,J he creen We; tr il ep t ned q i $1 8 I f giffi al m a ed in the extension 92 of the pipe 55. A' a keggza hltiv--"pos'itiori 'in Fig 3" U arranged on the s aj d ser ves to Engin- P Studs 1 as me i i e i BO i n; fe ive f el' n" en a ement got t mitftefitly blowfioff the"" e1bowan d against the adjeeeni; Da i" f he' t li 1 l 1 lfrms a opening Tito *seal -the'laiter. Theabr as'ive' 'rejufiction at? w s 'w 'a g n idue-fprecipifiatedmp' to-this time in'izhe conical do rjw ardly ektepdinggpme 81a. Dififererit types bottbm-member 10=wi11 riow beremoved py the of br sive, si eh as ghqt aqd ei i-i onca fb d by bmbinew action Of the air pressure" in 55 w ay of into pircul afi ing th=hoppe1"aL-nd:-byflfeventuri-actioh'of'the' air f lg by fi g f' 5 J Asflthqseaahra- -b1ast"fromthe outleti68."fThe--upper c'oni'cal SW65, in conj upction t t andnstqnegdust' ---hopper58 is yieldingly held: in the position illusfall from difi singeil liens desqr h d-amy i th -trated inFig. 3 by 4springs'16. 'conn ct ditoritg must; either pa s s thyougi ijhe screen element or upperedge zmdto verrticelly positioned studs ""00 due to their size be ejeqtged by the ,screenelement welded tq thequter pe l ipheryofih'ecylindrical mm; 1 t gage gf a mixturqpfsholt 1 11 po-rbion of the'pulsatol 56. A-braeket or spider narbidgy thesjfiggp garbidg, water andstbne dust '-18;-ha h fih 'fiPflfiWfid to f pass thr ough the sereen and the ,shot,;b$ing too receive the threadedends Ha of the studs Bathe large p pggs the ger e en," 011 ,ir to .1;he, pip ewflla, 'said e d .en u e e y l in .nu slq h 5 thus ut t ca ly sep at n 3 c1 am serve to retain the spider in the hqrizoniggl Rosifrom whence they maybe again cireulated tqihe tio'n depicted. -Thepider also-ha s g, pliirality putting, grinding, polishing and/or similar purof-downwgrdly extending bare, "as g.t 18 tf whose 1 pose machines, pr be gepare tely collected while 1OWe1 8I1dS"b I fifi elili .ther by.mai the silicon 03;" 'de ismecl aimedand recirculated, 1 m t i a iq i i ak 1a 1 1- Thil u hit s her in desr b d-.. ,Byw emw ree b, qi ir Port o ihqs'piderz a a ve material axi he Q Mmrr'int'bar fln isprbtrqded dgwriwa dl claimed together. A ba1 e, a'l bse 'yes'tq prqtect i hre i ts liea d'ier'iteyg the hqle 15 t huskeeping blowninate'lials """stob fo'f'th e bhl l' 6 9' Whedthel I its seat on the elbow H by inie'rmltten't blasts ica l e amberfi I tank 22.

. cylinder, as described generally hereinbefore, de-

scends by gravity into .the pipe 36a and thence falls into the drum.31, as at I03, where it lies at the bottom normally containing water I04 to the level of the edge of the opening 52a, from which the water falls into the precipitating and settling The specific construction of ,the drum 31 alluded to in general above, includes a plurality of scoops or buckets I05 suitably fastened to the inner periphery of the drum and having the cross-sectional contour depicted in Fig. 6. The construction of the individual scoops is further shownin the perspective view of Fig. 9 and comprises for each scoop a pair of deflector vanes I06, I01 arranged angularly and fastened at their mutually spaced ends to a scoop or bucket element I38 which latter provides with the adjacent periphery of the drum a shelving, abrasive-receiving pocket I09.

. The abrasive residue scooped up by the buckets I is dumped into the mouth of a hopper (Figs. 10 and 11) designated generally at I II], which comafter described. 1 Larger particles of abrasive, or agglomerations thereof, are washed off the screen or broken up thence to drop back into the drum A top I I5a is provided with a rectangular, cutout portion, as at II6.

Over the cut-out portion I I6, a cover member I I1, also having a cut-out, as at H8, is adapted to slide. The cover I IT has a bent portion II9 to which a strap I is 'secured,, as at I2I.

The strap I20 has an angular extension I22 formed with a slot I23 slidably receiving the threaded stem of a screw bolt I24 passing through a portion of the adjacent frame 28. A wing nut I25 on the screw bolt serves to lock the strap and consequently the cover I I1 in the desired position to regulate the extent of the opening I26 afiorded by the coacting cut-out portions The abrasive material falling through the screen bottom II2 of the hopper II!) is conveyed by a diagonally extending pipe I21 joining the said hopper and protruding through a front panel I28 thereof. This residue material, it is to be understood, will be returned via pipe I21 and pipe I29 to the stone cutting mechanism (not shown). The pipe I21 may be conveniently retained in the operative position shown by a pipe clamp or strap I3!) suitably secured to an adjacent portion of the cradle frame, as at I3I. In order to thoroughly remove the abrasive from the inner periphery of the drum 31 and deposit it into the pockets of the scoops or buckets I05, a pipe I32 connected to a source of water supply (not shown) and regulated by a valve I33 is inserted into the chamber of the drum, and consequently projects a stream of water therein to effect the result indicated. Anotherpipe i3 5 connected to the same source of water supply and controlled by a man-' ually operable valve I35 also enters the chamber of the drum 31 to a point adjacent the opening in the hopper III] between the side panels thereof in order to provide an adjustable water medium to carry the abrasive deposited in hopper IIII back to the stone operating machine (not shown) II2a whence they are returned for reuse, as hereinvia pipes I21 and I29f A third pipe I36 also connected to the same source of water supply through the common coupling I31 is extended horizontally into the chamber of the drum 31. This pipe is also controlled'by a valve I38 and has a series of orifices I39 which function to further scour and remove all'material from the inner periphery of the drum. This last-mentioned pipe I36 supports the hopper I II] by a bracket I40. Further details associated with the collecting drum 31 include the section of rubber pipe I II, which is operatively connected to the outlet pipe 36a and is conveniently supported on a bar I42 welded to an adjacent portion of the frame 28. The rubber pipe I II may be supported in any suitable manner, as by the cord or wire I43 wrapped around the supporting rod and the outer periphery of the rubber pipe. The means for supporting the perforated pipe I36 may preferably include a bracket M311, which is adjustably clamped to an adjacent portion of the frame 28 by screws I44 riding in slots I45 formed in the bracket I43a.

The details of the abrasive precipitating and settling tank 22 includes a series of shelves I46 which are arranged in staggered relation so that the material from the upper trays will progressively fall to the lower trays while being conveyed by the current of water. Overflow means for the tank 22 includes a casing I41 having a sight window I41a, the casing also including" an outlet pipe I411). This permits reuse of the water as a flushing medium, if desired.

In connection with the application and transmission of the power for the apparatus, and in order to prevent abrasive material or water interfering with the smooth action of the driving units and including the motor and gearing, a housing I 48 encases these members, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The function and operation of the device has been in large measure described above, but may be summarized as follows:

The abrasive material flowing in the form of a 7 wet paste from the stone cutting operation will preliminarily .reach the pulsator unit 56, and thence, as describe-d above, will be forcibly ejected into the abrasive circulating cylinder 36 at approximately half-minute intervals, as the motor 35 and the gear reduction system associated therewith communicate slow revolution to the drum 31. Theabrasive residue material projected into the cylinder 36, as hereinbefore pointed out, is conveyed by the pipe 36a to the drum 31, which functions to receive all of the abrasive residue material, and in its rotation, deposit it into the hopper III] which functions to effect a sifting and agitating action of the abrasive, that results in the precipitation of the heavier particles while the lighter material flows out of the drum in a current of water and drops into the settling tank 22 where the staggered shelves or trays I46 serve to conveniently retain it in position for scraping therefrom. The heavier particles, in

large measure, are conducted by the pipe I21 to the stone cutting operation in a form suitable ace-swea- What :is rclaimed isa.

1. In an abrasiveasalvagingfmachine of the kind described and; for use with astone cutting m chineminl combinationmeans connected to for reuse, a settling tank arranged adjacent 'the and receiving abrasive residuedromsaid'stone 5 um dr 'W y ab as ve macutting-t-rnachine,fluidpressure means connected to the meanszandrefiectivc to -intermittentlyapply compressedsa-iri thereto, a container operablyconnected to :the first-mentioned means-and :receiv-- ing the abrasive residue therefrom at intermittent intervals; .a. rotatable member I connected to 1 the containerg-a hopperiin-saidrotatable member and" receiving; salvaged abrasive particles -from the rotatable? member; andinstrumenta'lities 'for re- 1 r15 kind-described and for use with'a-stone-cutting mechanism,--=the combination of an abrasive-' receivingpulsating unitr a connectionbetween said pulsator mechanism and the stone cutting mechanism, said connection -being operable *to 1 2O convey abrasive residuamaterial'to-said -pu'lsa-- tor mechanism-,a source-0tcompressedair connected tothe pulsator and effective'to transmit air pressure at intermittent intervals thereto; conduitmeans-connectingthe pulsator--to an 2 5 abrasive container, avalvewithin-said abrasive" containernormally effective -to -'-prevent' the dis- 1 charge of abrasive'material back tothe pulsator moving residuewmaterial-- fromr the interior of 'the rotatable; member. '1

2. In an apparatusmf the kindidescribed an'd" Y for use with astone cutting mechanismrinicomai bination;ia-sframepmeansionthe frame to receive: abrasive; residue": material 1* and intermittently :to". a: container; a: rotatablevmember turnablyrmounted on" the frame, conduitmeans conveys effectivector conveying residue: material from the containerto the rotatable member', abrasive-1" conveying, scoop:means arranged1.on the inner' peripheryriofr the rotatable member, a hopper sup-' portedcwithinthe rotatable member, otherm'e'ans for removing abrasivea-material: from the inner peripheryrrof-the' rotatabletsmember; said hopper' receiving said'sma terialn as ,the rotatable imember is turned, "and otherameans"operablyfassociated sive :residue material'of comparatively light spe-' cific gravity and to precipitate abrasive p'articles therefrom for reuse while discarding unus able abrasive materialand stonedust. 3. Inan apparatus-of the kind described and for use with a 'stone'cutting mechanism, in -com bination; a-support; an intermittently operated pulsator unit connected .tosaid support and re-" ceiving abrasive residue for conveying'purposes,: *5

a container arranged on the support'and operably connected; to the intermittently operated unit to' receive abrasive residue therefrom, valve means' within saidcontainer and :operableunder" the influence of said intermittently operated pulsat unit-is actuated, a drumzturnably supported on the support,- conveying means for delivering abrasive residue from said container to said drum,

means including a: motor and a gear reduction unit-for rotating said drum at a comparatively slowrate, a'plurality ofyinstrumentalities within the drumto receive, circulate, and precipitate abrasive particles from abrasive-residue material received from the container, .a tank associated 1 with the drum and arranged to receive a portion of abrasive residue material issuingfromsaid drum, said tank having a plurality of shelves effective to precipitate abrasive particles th'erein, and fluid means within the tank'for carrying away unusable abrasive material and stone dust. 1 4 Inan apparatus of the kind described and for use with a stone cutting mechanism; in 'combination, a frame; a, 'pulsator mechanism connected to the frame, means to conveyabrasive residue materialto the:pulsator mechanism'fiuid pressure means connected to the pulsator and intermittently-operable to eject'abr'asive residue material therefrom, a, container connected to the pulsator and receiving the said material there from at the intermittent intervalsindicated;-=said container being operably connected with a rotatable drum "mounted on the frame and efiective to convey bygravityabrasive material thereto,

- an admixture-of-stone-dust,=and"-a plurality of shelves within said tank -and arranged -in -10 staggered relation-,- saidshelves being effective to precipitate-a portion of the lighter abrasive 5. In an abrasive-salvaging -machine-'of the while permitting the entrance of the material other means including "a a source of compressed air for ejecting-abrasive residuefma-terial from the pulsator-mech-anism,-and thence tothe circulating container; said circulating container 'depositing the residue material into the rotating I drum, said drum conveying the material to--the hopper, and a tank arrangedbeneath'the drum-- col-and receiving lighten portionsof-the residue-materialand precipitating itdor reuse'while'disstone dust.

7. A process for salvagingabrasive-particles 5 from-abrasiveresidue materialcontainingstone dust, which includcs the intermitt entforcible c0nduction of the abrasive residue material to a predetermined point in order *to secure a" preliminary -dispersionor the particles thereof, then permitting--the said material-"to'" descend by gravity to'rotating-means'; then precipitatingthe residue matei ial in"the presen'ce of "wate1'"an'd to immediatelysecure tlie"hea viei abrasive'partijcles thereofg and then permittingth water to a plurality ofcmeans within the drum effective convey the lighter abrasive particles to-other particles while -=water operates to carry away unusabla-light abrasive particles and stone dust;

therein; -a-drumyoperably--associated with-the container and receiving residue 'material-there-- 4 from bygravity,power=operated meanstorotate with the member and effectivefor receivingabra- ."i fle e :hOPPBPWIthm t drum" 9 periphery of the dr'um-- as--itrotatesfi-and a-set 3.5 tling'tank" arranged adjacent the drum-and -receiving water conveyed abrasive material there-' from. I

6. In an abrasive salvaging machine of the kind described and for use with'a-stone cutting ll, mechanism; --in combination, a -frame, =asource of power arranged-on said frame;-anabrasive receiving rpulsatormechanism connectedto the frameand tothe source of power; an abrasive circulating container-arranged on arr-upper por- 45 tion ofthe frame and connected-to-the pulsator;

a drum connected to -the source of powerand operably associ-atedwith-the container; a hopper within the drum and connectedbyconduit-means to said stone cutting-mechanism: gears'eduction so meansconnected to the'source of power and the carding unusable-abrasive material-together with precipitating means while conveying the unusable abrasive particles and stone dust to a predetermined point.

8. The process of salvaging abrasive particles from abrasive residue material received from stone cutting operations, which comprises the initial conveyance of the abrasive residue material by water, then dispersing the material by an air blast and conveying it thereby to receiving means, then permitting the abrasive residue to gravitate to rotating means, and further agitating said material at said rotating means to obtain a preliminary precipitation of the heavier particles thereof, and finally conveying the rest of the residue material, including the lighter abrasive particles therein to a washing treatment to precipitate the lighter particles and simultaneously discard the unusable material therefrom.

9. The process of salvaging abrasive particles from abrasive residue material from stone cutting operations, which comprises the initial reception of the material, then intermittently dispersing the particles of the material by compressed fluid, then receiving the said dispersed material and permitting it to fall by gravity to rotating means, then subjecting the material while rotating to a water spray, then accumulating the heavier abrasive particles and conveying them to a predetermined point for reuse, and then conveying the lighter abrasive particles together with stone dust to other means to effect a further precipitation of abrasive particles, and finally discarding the unusable abrasive material and stone dust by conveying same to a predetermined point in the presence of water.

10. In an apparatus for the reclaiming of abrasive particles from abrasive residue containing stone dust, in combination, abrasive residue receiving means including a pulsator, a circulating container connected to said pulsator and effective to diiTuse said abrasive residue, and other means connected to said container to receive residue therefrom and including a collecting member to segregate and salvage usable abrasive particles from the residue while discarding stone dust and unusable abrasive particles.

11. In an abrasive salvaging apparatus of the kind described, in combination, abrasive conveying means, an intermittently operated pulsator mechanism adapted to receive abrasive residue from the conveying means, fluid operated means within the pulsator mechanism and eifective to permit the conveyance of said residue to circulating means operably connected to the pulsator mechanism, said circulating means diffusing the abrasive residue and then feeding same by gravity to a segregating and collecting mechanism, said last-mentioned mechanism including abrasive conveying and washing means, and additional means to collect usable abrasive particles from the residue while discarding the unusable residue. 12. In an abrasive salvaging machine of the kind described, in combination, supporting means, abrasive collecting mechanism carried by said supporting means, abrasive conveying means, an intermittently operated pulsator mechanism adapted to receive abrasive residue, fluid-operated means within said mechanism and efiective to distribute said abrasive residue to said abrasive collecting mechanism, said abrasive conveying means being operably connected to said pulsator mechanism and effective to preliminarily collect the said abrasive residue, and then feed same by gravity to said abrasive collecting mechanism, said mechanism including means to collect com- 12 paratively heavy abrasive particles and return same to a predetermined point, and instrumentalities to precipitate lighter abrasive particles for reclamation while discarding unusable abrasive particles and residue.

13. In a device for salvaging abrasive particles from abrasive residue material, in combination, a support, means arranged on said support and intermittently operable to receive and eject abrasive material therefrom and to an abrasive container secured to the support, abrasive conducting means connected to the container and operable to convey abrasive residue material therefrom by gravity, a cylindrical member turnably supported on the support and connected to the container by the said conducting means, a hopper Within said cylindrical member and coactable with abrasive receiving buckets arranged on the periphery of the drum, water supplying means operably connected to the interior of the drum and efiective to remove abrasive residue material from the periphery of the drum, a pipe connected to said hopper and operable to receive precipitated and comparatively heavy abrasive particles from the hopper and to convey same to a predetermined point, and a settling tank arranged adjacent to and beneath the drum and normally operable to receive abrasive residue material therefrom, said tank having means to precipitate lighter abrasive particles while discarding the unusable lightest abrasive particles and stone dust mingled therewith.

14. In a device of the kind described, a tank mounted on a frame, means mounted on the tank and effective to rockingly support a secand frame, gear reduction means connected to the motor and supported on the second frame, a drum connected to the gear reduction means and turnable thereby, an abrasive-receiving and intermittently operable unit connected to the first-mentioned frame, a source of compressed air connected to the said unit, a valve connectible to the source of compressed air and operable by the motor to intermittently cause a blast of compressed air to enter the unit, an abrasive container arranged on an upper part of the second frame and connected by a pipe to the unit, a valve within the container for preventin the return of abrasive material to the unit while permitting its admittance into the container, a second pipe connecting the container with the drum, and means within the drum including a hopper and abrasive collecting means; whereby as said motor is operated, the unit, container, and drum function to segregate heavier abrasive particles from lighter abrasive particles while discarding unusable abrasive material and stone dust.

15. A process for reclaiming and recirculating usable abrasive particles from abrasive residue, which comprises the conducting of abrasive residue by a current of water to receiving means, then dispersing the abrasive residue by air to effect a preliminary separation by screening of the heavier and usable abrasive particles from the said residue, then subjecting the remainder of the residue to a Washing and flotation in Water to effect a precipitation of other usable abrasive particles While permitting the unusable portion of the abrasive material to remain in suspension in the water, and then recirculating the precipitated usable abrasive particles.

16. A process for salvaging abrasive particles from the abrasive residue of stone cutting operations, Which comprises the initial conveying of said residue by a current of water to receiving means, then intermittently subjecting the residue to compressed air While in the receiving means and conveying it in dispersed form to washing means, and then precipitating usable abrasive particles from the residue and simultaneously conveying away unusable abrasive residue for discarding.

17. In an apparatus for salvaging and recirculating abrasive particles and shot from abrasive residue containing stone dust, in combination, a plurality of coactable and separable units, said units being coordinated and efiective to sequentially receive abrasive residue material and then to treat the said material to progressively difiuse and segregate the usable abrasive particles from the unusable abrasive particles and recirculate the usable abrasive particles, one of said units having means to segregate shot from the rest of the abrasive residue and convey same to recirculating means.

18. In mechanism for the salvaging of abrasive particles from abrasive residue, in combination, means to receive a mixture of abrasive residue, shot and water, screening means in said receiving means, other means to disperse the particles and shot of said mixture and cooperating with said screening means to effect a preliminary segregation of heavier abrasive particles means to wash with water and precipitate other abrasive particles from unusable portions of the residue while discarding said unusable residue.

19. In an apparatus for the reclaiming of abrasive particles and shot from abrasive. residue containing stone dust, in combination, abrasive receiving means including a pulsator, a circulating container connected to said pulsator and eifective to diffuse said abrasive residue, said container having means to segregate the shot from the rest of the abrasive residue and return same to recirculating instrumentalities,- and other means connected to said container to receive residue therefrom and including a collecting member to segregate and salvage usable abrasive particles from the residue while discarding stone dust and unusable abrasive particles.

LEMUEL M. GILBERT. CARL G. DERR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 471,688 Sobotka Mar. 29, 1892 1,031,113 Garred July 2, 1912 2,053,802 Nicol V- Sept. 8, 1936 2,124,343 Borroughs July 19, 1938 2,387,548 Wiegand Oct. 23, 1945 

